1890 U.S. Census Substitute

The 1890 U.S. Census Substitute is a substitute for the original records of the 1890 U.S. Federal Census.

Purpose

It is used by Ancestry.com because seventy-five percent of the original 1890 census records were destroyed in a 1921 fire in the basement of the Commerce Building in Washington, D.C. before census records were stored permanently in the National Archives.

Questions from the original 1890 census

address

number of families in house

number of persons in house

whether a soldier, sailor or marine for the Union or Confederate army during the American Civil War, or widow of such person

relationship to head of family

race, described as white, African American/black, mulatto, quadroon, octoroon, Chinese American, Japanese American, or Native American

sex

age

marital status

mother of how many children and number now living

place of birth of person and their father and mother

if foreign-born, number of years in US

whether naturalized

whether papers have been taken out

profession, trade or occupation

months unemployed during census year

ability to read and write

ability to speak English, and, if unable, language or dialect spoken

whether suffering from acute or chronic disease, with name of disease and length of time afflicted

whether defective in mind, sight, hearing or speech, or whether crippled, maimed or deformed, with name of defect

whether a prisoner, convict, homeless child, or pauper

home rented, or owned by head or member of family, and, if owned, whether free from mortgage

if farmer, whether farm is rented, or owned by head or member of family; if owned, whether free from mortgage; if rented, post office box of owner